Spin Hall Effect in a Two-Dimensional Electron Gas with Strong Rashba Spin-Orbit Interaction: Semiclassical Keldysh Approach

Spin Hall effect in a two-dimensional electron gas with the Rashba spin-orbit interaction is analyzed theoretically. We use the Keldysh technique for nonequilibrium processes, modified in order to take into account well-defined splitting of the Fermi surface due to strong spin-orbit coupling. Using such an approach, we reconsider the two-dimensional electron gas with the Rashba spin-orbit interaction and show that impurity scattering processes suppress the spin Hall effect.